1962 Cuban National League
From BR Bullpen
The 1962 season was the first season of Cuba's national baseball system.
Contents |
[edit] Serie Nacional
The inaugural Serie Nacional was won by Occidentales, who were managed by Fermín Guerra.
Following the March 1961 edict (National Degree Number 936) outlawing professional sports on the island, the Cuban professional leagues was disbanded. The post-revolutionary government's INDER (Instituto Nacional de Deportes, Educación Física y Recreación) quickly converted the professional to amateur baseball structure for the first National Series for the following January. The series was the only competition in the National League in this year.
The four-team league played a 27-game schedule from January to March. In the league's first game on January 14 between Orientales and Azucareros. Players were drawn from throughout the island's six provinces; for instance the league champion Occidentales was comprised largely of players from Pinar del Río. Despite the regional names of the teams, all teams were based in Havana and all games were played at the capital's Gran Stadium.
All of the teams' managers were former professional league players. The pennant-winning skipper, Guerra, was a former winter league star and part-time American League catcher. Orientales were managed by former star pitcher Pedro “Natilla” Jiménez. Azucareros were led by Antonio Castaño, the former Havana Sugar Kings manager who remained in Cuba following the team's transfer to Jersey City, NJ in the previous year. José Maria Fernández a long-time player in the Mexican League as well as the Negro Leagues, and final manager of the professional league's Marianao Tigers was the manager of Habana.
The league's top pitcher was Occidentales' Manuel Hernández in his only Serie Nacional season. Hernández had a 6 – 3 win-loss record with a 1.64 ERA in 76.2 innings pitched. He had a 94/28 strikeout to walk ratio and held opposing batters to a .180 batting average. Teammate Erwin Walters was the league's top batter and MVP with a .367 average.
[edit] Standings
- Bold indicates Serie Nacional champion
| Team | G | W | L | WPCT | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Occidentales | 27 | 18 | 9 | 0.667 | -.- |
| Azucareros | 27 | 13 | 14 | 0.481 | 5.0 |
| Orientales | 27 | 13 | 14 | 0.481 | 5.0 |
| Habana | 27 | 10 | 17 | 0.370 | 8.0 |
[edit] Leaders
- Bold indicates either wooden bat record or aluminum bat record (1976-1977 to 1998-1999), Italics indicate Serie Nacional record
[edit] Batting
[edit] Pitching
[edit] Award Winners
The Most Valuable Player (Jugadores más Valiosos) was Erwin Walters a outfielder with Occidentales. The Most Valuable Pitcher (Lanzadores más Valiosos) was Manuel Hernández of Occidentales.
[edit] Sources
- (March 17, 2004). "Cronología: 1962 (Spanish)". Radiococo. Radiococo. Retrieved October 29, 2006.
- (March 22, 2004). "Tabla de Posiciones de la I serie 1962 (Spanish)". Radiococo. Radiococo. Retrieved October 29, 2006.
- (November 18, 2005). "Guía Digital 2005-06". Guía Oficial de Béisbol 2005 (Digital). Instituto Nacional de Deportes, Educación Física y Recreación. Retrieved October 29, 2006.
- Peter C. Bjarkman. A History of Cuban Baseball, 1864–2006. : McFarland, 2007. ISBN 0786428295
